Y’all. I don’t even know where to begin.
Have you ever had one of those weeks, or maybe even long weekends, when you genuinely disconnect from or simply don’t have as much time to pay attention to tech news?
But then, you come back from that brief reprieve, only for things to look kind of like this:
Source: Giphy
I was going to write a full news recap for you this week. Even when limited to the tech realm, there was a lot that went on, from Snapchat’s bungled “surprise” partnership with Jeff Koons, to product announcements from Sonos, to even more struggles from major tech companies– like Google, Facebook, and Twitter — to curb the distribution and promotion of false content.
But as I reviewed all of the week’s developments, there was one main news item that really caught my eye, besides Google’s major product event on Wednesday (which I covered here): what’s going on with Uber.
Because this item is rather complex and in-depth, I’ve chosen to focus exclusively on Uber this week. It’s intricate, has evolved quickly, and is a lot for anyone to sort through.
That’s why I’ve synthesized what’s happening here, in what I hope is a cohesive, easy-to-digest manner, to help you catch up on things.
With that said: on your mark — get set — drive.
Spoiler Alert: This Kind of Has a Happy Ending
Over in London
Like most weeks, it seems, this was not a good one for Uber. There’s been a bit of a rollercoaster of events since Transport for London revoked its license to operate in that U.K. city, including the departure of Uber’s chief of northern Europe affairs, Jo Bertram.
Uber’s new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has spent much of his recent time in London to meet with Mike Brown, commissioner of Transport for London. While both parties suggested that these discussions have been mutually beneficial, no formal decision has been made — nor will it be, it seems, until October 13, when a judge is due to issue a decision on the ride-sharing company’s appeal.
Until that process has reached a conclusion, Uber can continue operating in London, where it has roughly 40,000 drivers.
But as interesting a development as that might be, things were even more amplified for Uber in two other categories: its ongoing legal woes with Alphabet, and continuous drama over its board.
The Alphabet Lawsuit
To recap: When we last left off, Alphabet had obtained a significant document called the Stroz Report: a due diligence report named for the firm that prepared it, Stroz Friedberg, ordered by Uber when controversial self-driving technology engineer Anthony Levandowski would be joining its team. Levandowski is accused of stealing trade secrets from Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle division, and no longer works for Uber. He has firmly exercised his fifth amendment rights throughout these proceedings.
Earlier this week, the Stroz report became public — and those with the intestinal fortitude to sift through all 34 pages can do so here:
1928-24 by Johana Bhuiyan on Scribd
Source: HubSpot
We Need to Talk About Uber.
